Immediately after the opening whistle, Man City quickly took control of the game and constantly pushed Porto's defense deep. Erling Haaland was a constant threat to the home team's defense, having two dangerous headers in the 21st and 27th minutes, but he failed to convert either into a goal.
Haaland rose high to head the ball powerfully, it hit the post before going into the net, opening the scoring for Man City.
The pressure from the visiting team continued to increase as Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki both sought scoring opportunities. In the 32nd minute, Man City had a great chance to open the scoring, but goalkeeper Diogo Costa made consecutive saves to deny shots from Haaland and Cherki. The Porto goalkeeper's excellent performance meant that both teams went into halftime goalless.
However, the balance only lasted two minutes after the second half began. In the 47th minute, Enzo Fernandez delivered an accurate cross for Haaland to leap and head the ball. It hit the post before going into the net, giving Man City a 1-0 lead.
Porto immediately sought to retaliate. In the 49th minute, Pepe fell in the penalty area and the home team appealed for a penalty, but the referee refused. Then, in the 57th minute, Alan Varela unleashed a long-range shot that grazed the post, missing an opportunity to bring the game back to a tie.